two groups: the Belgian government and the European Union. As concerns the Belgian government, large orders are made by the Federal Purchasing Bureau through a bidding process. This procedure is open to all firms, national and foreign. The Equipment Direction of every Belgian government ministry is responsible for smaller purchases of office furniture. Contrary to the procedure for larger purchases, this procedure is not open to foreign firms. As concerns the European Commission, the Secretariat for the Purchase of Materials is responsible for the purchase of office furniture. Invitations to tender are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities and bidding is open to all firms. The selection process is identical to the one followed by the Belgian Federal Purchasing Bureau. Best Market Prospects Bulgarian manufacturers of office furniture seeking entrance to the Belgium market should concentrate on the facility management market and the systems furniture market. As the facility management market is a relatively new market which is becoming increasingly popular, it constitutes a very promising opportunity. No matter what type of furniture choose to export to Belgium, the Bulgarian manufacturers should not forget to adapt their products to the type of furniture sold in Belgium and Europe. Besides, Bulgarian firms will need to provide quick and efficient services in order to be competitive. The manufacturers who decide to specialize in environmentally friendly products should also find the growing market very promising. Finally, the Bulgarian manufacturers should try to focus only on the private sector. The European Commission will not be publishing any new invitations to tender for the next few years and the Belgian government, as mentioned earlier only deals with Belgian manufacturers for small to average purchases. Although Bulgarian manufacturers are free to bid for large purchases by the Belgian government, they will...
